THE MISSING KEY ..EPISODE 1-5

THE MISSING KEY
EPISODE 1
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–6:30am–
It happened on a Monday. Very early in the morning, my Dad woke up as usual and started to dress up for work. By 6.30am he was ready for work. He then took his time to sort out some papers. I think these papers had something to do with his work. It was almost 7am when he locked up his suit case and left the bedroom. Mum was still sleeping when he closed the door behind him.
In the sitting room, he walked straight to the exit door, realized that the door was still locked.
“Oh!” he exclaimed and walked straight to the dining table where the exit door key was normally kept, but it wasn’t there.
He got a little frustrated as he began to search all over the sitting room for the key. It was no where to be found. He dropped his suitcase on the seat and angrily walked back into the sitting room where Mum was still sleeping.
“Where on earth would someone keep the exit door key if not in the sitting room?” he said to Mum who was already half awake.
She moaned and slowly said, “Not everybody wakes up as early as you do, you know?”
“This is almost 7am and it’s not early. I just need to know where the key is so that I can go to work; I have a very important meeting this morning.”
“It should be in the sitting room, I think I kept it there after I locked up last night,” she said as she slowly got up from the bed.
“You think?” he starred at her in disbelieve,
“where you drunk last night?” He asked’ She ignored him and walked out of the bedroom, into the sitting room. He followed her.
She searched every nook and cranny of the sitting room, while my Dad watched her in anger. But she didn’t find the key.
“Where else would this key be if not here?” she said, more to herself as she looked around helplessly.
“I am really sure I kept it here.“
Daddy impatiently looked at his wrist watch,“Oh my God,” 7:10am. what is the meaning of all this?”…
John walked into the sitting room. He was already in his school uniform. My Dad might be a huge income earner, but John never looked it. His dressing was always shabby and he most times preferred flying his shirt with his sandals dirty. I can’t remember Dad or Mum ever saying something about it. Of course Dad was never around to notice and Mum hardly talks.
“Good morning Mum, Good morning Dad,” he said and walked towards the kitchen.
“Did you see the exit door key?” Dad asked without responding to his salutation.
John stopped starring at them in confusion; he was never comfortable around them. They have a way of intimidating him and this makes him somehow act guilty around them. One can easily blame him for anything because of the way he acted around them.
“Key?, No Dad, I wasn’t the last person to go to bed, I have no idea where the key is.”
Dad continued to look around the sitting room like John was never there in the first place.
He looked at the wall clock in the sitting room and murmured, “Just imagine, I should be on my way to the office by now. What nonsense is this?”
Mum was still busy searching. She was saying some things to herself nobody could hear. She was sure she kept the key on the dining table after she locked up last night.
“Woman, what exactly do you want me to do right now? Just try and remember where you kept this key so that I can go to my office and get ready for the meeting.” Dad said to her.
“I am very sure I kept the key here. Yes, I remember opening the door for you when you came home last night. I locked it immediately and dropped it on the dining table before going to sleep. Linda was doing her home work on the table when i dropped it, while Ada was playing with her cell phone on the long seat here.” She said thoughtfully.
“LINDA!!” Dad called my name…
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The story has just begun.
WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 2

THE MISSING KEY
EPISODE 2
If Dad called any of us the way he was calling me now, we know there was trouble and trouble with my Dad was hell. When angry with anybody in the house, he would use very derogatory words ensuring that his victim looked and felt as foolish as ever. He would attack your self esteem and make you hate yourself.
I was putting on my socks when Dad called.
“Yes Dad!” I replied and quickly came out of my room to meet him, wondering what I had done wrong this morning.
He hardly interacts with anyone on week day’s mornings.
“Where is the exit door key?” he asked immediately I came out.
“I don’t know where it is,” I replied defensively.
He was asking like he was sure I was with it.
“You were doing your homework on the dining last night when your Mum dropped the key, didn’t you see it?”
“No Dad,” I replied as he immediately shifted his attention back to Mum who was still looking around confused.
Ada came out from her room; she had not yet taken her bath. I think she wasn’t having an early lecture this Monday morning. I sometimes wonder what sort of school she was going. She does not wear any school uniform like me and John. She sometimes comes home very early or even stays at home without going to school for a whole day.
“Ada, do you happen to know where the exit door key is?” Mum spoke up this time around.
“Isn’t it on the dining table?”
“It wouldn’t be on the dining and we would be looking for it.” Dad injected.
He raised his hands helplessly.
“Can somebody locate this key so that I will leave this house? What sort of joke is this?”
Ada and Mum started all over again to search all corners of the sitting room. John came out from the kitchen and walked into his room, he didn’t want to be around Dad. I also left them and got back into my room to finish dressing up for school. I didn’t think the key was missing. I was almost sure that the key would be found, Dad’s irritated mood was only making it look bad.
The time was almost 7.30am; I hoped the key would be found soonest so that I don’t miss the school bus. Nobody was even talking about breakfast; well Mum will bring my lunch box for me later. She would drop at the school gate and the guard would help her bring it to me.
7.35am
By now Dad was burning in anger. He stood helplessly and observed as Mum and Ada continued to look around for the key. He obviously didn’t know the next thing to do. They repeatedly searched where they had already searched. He looked at them like they were silly.
“Will you continue to search the same place all day? How do you feel doing that?” Dad calmly asked.
Neither Mum nor Ada was sure the question was directed at them. They stopped and looked at him. It was obvious that the anger he felt had heated his whole system that his whole body organs should have started dissolving by now.
Who could be holding the key?
WATCH OUT FOR EPISOD

THE MISSING KEY
EPISODE 3
“You can stare at me from now till tomorrow but you will never find the key on my face. I expected that by now you should know that they key is not here and start searching for it in other sections of the house.”
“I know I kept the key here and none of the kids are with it. I believe this is the only place the key should be.” Mum replied defensively.
“Maybe a ghost came to this house and took it. You are very sure that you kept the key here and it is not here yet you only concentrate on searching the same place; are you okay? Look woman, you and your daughter should stop embarrassing yourselves and search for this key in other sections of the house.”
“Ada, go and look around your room and if you don’t find it go into Linda’s room, while I search in our bedroom, I will also check the kitchen.” Mum instructed Ada as they both dispersed.
She was silent because somehow she felt guilty that it was her fault that this was happening. Dad followed her into the bedroom and they both continued to search the room in silence. Dad hadn’t looked at the time since the last time he did. I think he was afraid of what the time might be.
His special meeting was by nine o’clock but he was supposed to have a short briefing with one or two staff and his Boss before the dignitaries who were supposed to be present at the meeting arrived. He had in his possession, the most important document that would be needed for the meeting and he was supposed to discuss some points with his staff and Boss before the meeting. Without the document, the meeting won’t hold.
The silence in the room was scary. Mum knew that this was more serious than anything. She decided to check the kitchen as it was obvious that the key was not in the bedroom. She walked out of the room into the kitchen. The key was nowhere to be found.
She came back into the bedroom. Dad was sitting on his bed. He was facing down as he supported his forehead with both hands which rested on his laps. She felt pity for him and afraid for herself..
“You know, I think you are doing this deliberately,” he said.
The key was nowhere to be found, the blaming game must take another direction.
“I don’t know why you are doing it, but you are trying to make me go crazy. I am trying to know what I have done to you to deserve all this.”
“Why would I try to make you go crazy?”
“You tell me.”
“Well I have nothing to gain by making you stay at home and discharge your tantrums on me. I kept the key where it is normally kept and …”
“And a ghost came and took it.” He cut in, “I never knew I had ghosts in my house. You must have planned this either with the kids or alone!”
Mum was getting angry with his accusations; she didn’t want to continue the discussion.
So she heads towards the exit of the room, “You can say whatever you like but I believe the key is somewhere in this house and it shall be found and then you will leave for work with your troubles.”
Ada entered John’s room after she had finished searching hers.
“What is it? Why are you entering my room?” he rudely asked.
“Don’t you know that we are searching for the lost key? Everybody is busy trying to locate it, instead of coming out to help; you isolate yourself in your room.” She replied.
“Leave my room, the key is not here. I am not with the key. What will I be doing with it here; please you guys should leave me alone. I am not in the mood for your problems.”
“Look at the dirty room you are telling me to leave, you are not even happy I am stepping my legs into this refuse dump.”
“Thank you, my room is a refuse dump, now leave.”
She angrily banged the door behind her she left the room and entered my room.
EPISODE 4 coming
THE MISSING KEY
EPISODE 4
My door was already opened so she walked straight in. she started searching all over like it was her room, I didn’t speak with her.
We had a brief quarrel last night before I went to bed. Something that led her to hit me while I rained abuses on her and reminding her of how she follows men.
When she was through, she walked out of the room without saying a word to me. I wanted to hiss loudly so that she could hear it but Dad was around and I knew she wouldn’t let it go if she hears the hiss. I didn’t want Dad taking out his already ignited tantrum on us. The day was already starting badly.
She met my Mum in the sitting room. There was no need to speak. They stopped helplessly wondering where the key was. They begin to search between and within the seats.
Dad came out of the room and went straight to the door; he stopped and stared at it, as if asking himself ‘what should I do now?’
There was no possibility of breaking down the strong metallic bullet proof door. A few months ago, Dad had angrily and suddenly relieved the gateman of his duties because of a pardonable mistake. Now there was nobody outside the compound that he could call to help him pull some stunts outside. Dad had no driver; Dad was very impatient with drivers.
The spare key got lost almost seven months ago, it was Johns fault. We have been managing this single remaining key since then. The back door key which was occasionally used was in the same bunch with the exit door key. There was just no way out. Who would have imagined that this would be our plight on this Monday morning?
Time was ticking.
I think Dad was thinking of who he would call that would help him get some professionals to help him break down the door, because he was busy with his cell phone.
“Where could this key be?” Mum whispered.
The mistake she made was that she allowed Dad to hear it.
“You can continue asking yourself such a silly question. But have you taken your time to imagine how you sound with such words coming out of your lips?”
Mum looked at him helplessly, she was already getting used to him and the way he talked.
“I am not as silly as you take me for you know, I am sure I kept the key on this table, why should whatever happened to it after I kept it be my fault? Why don’t you believe me when I say that I kept it here?”
“I can only believe you when…” His cell phone rang, his Boss.
He took a long breath before answering the call.
“I can’t believe you are not yet in the office, are you okay?” His Boss quickly said before Dad could say hello.
“I just have a little set back I will soon be there Sir,” Dad said. He was trying to sound confident.
“Do you know what time it is? This is after eight. You should be here in the next ten minutes, I am waiting.”
The line went dead before Dad could give his fake reassurance speech.
He looked at Mum, “do you see what you are making me pass through?” His voice was loud. He was now ready to let out the whole anger he felt.
You see, the thunder like emotion called anger has a way of obscuring any intent we have. Remember, Dad was trying to call someone who would help him break down the door. Instead he spent valuable time calling Mum silly, I didn’t think Mum was the silly one here.
“Do you know this might cause me my job?” he continued in a much louder tone.
. “What do you stand to gain by doing this? You might think this is a joke but it is not. This morning meeting is one that I cannot afford to miss. I have with me here, important company documents that will be needed for the meeting. If I don’t attend it, it will be the greatest catastrophe of all times.”
WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 5


THE MISSING KEY
EPISODE 5
Mum got angry at Dad’s accusations towards her. She told him that he wasnt the only one that’s suppose to go out that very day, that we the children are supposed to go to school too.
I can’t remember if I have ever seen Mum this angry. Now this was even the first time she was talking back to Dad in such a way.
“And you can count me out when you decide to involve yourself in any problem solving activity. I won’t be part of it. I don’t care about your meeting and I don’t even care if you lose your job or not!! This is your house perhaps it’s high time you sit down here for once!” she walked out of the sitting room, into the bedroom.
“Okay, now you are gradually coming out with the truth, so you want me to sit here with you?” He replied.
Ada also quickly left the sitting room leaving Dad all alone in the sitting room. i stayed behind. He seemed shock. He didn’t expect such outburst from Mum.
He dialed a friend’s number “Hello… yes, can you help me get someone who can help me break down my door? Yes, a welder or carpenter, but I think a welder will be better since the door is a metal door… okay, I will be waiting. Thank you.”
He dropped the call and looked at the wall clock, 8.45am. He was exhausted. He sat on the closest leather seat next to him, staring at his phone like his life depended on it.
The cell phone rang ten minutes later, he quickly answered the call.
“Ya,”
“The welder I know is not reachable at the moment. But I spoke with a friend who gave me another’s number but I called him and he said he is not in town but will forward me a friend’s number. I will send the number to you when he sends the number to me.” His friend said.
“Oh my God” Dad exclaimed, “please try and make him send the number immediately, the earlier the better.”
“I will try my best.”
“Okay, I will be waiting.” His cell phone rang again immediately he cut the call, it was his Boss again.
“What is going on Mr. Ikedi? Is there something you are not telling me? The guests are already arriving for the meeting and you are not yet here. I need you here with those documents right now.”
How could Dad tell him that he was locked up in his own house? Dad hated sounding silly, maybe because he was fund of calling others silly.
“Sir, I will be there before nine, I promise. I will soon be there.”
“Where are you now?” his Boss asked
“I am on my way; I said I will soon be there Sir.”
“You better be, I won’t tolerate any late coming.” He cut the line before dad could reassure him again.
Dad stood up and started walking from one place to the other within the sitting room. A text message entered his phone. A welder’s number. Dad quickly dialed the number.
“Hello, is that the welder?”
“Yes who be this?” replied the incautious voice.
“Please I need you to come to my house immediately and help me break down my bullet proof door.”
“Oga, I de busy now, I no sure say I fit come.” Came the reply.
“Please send me your boy or any other welder you know.” Dad pleaded.
“Ahh, all my boys de busy oo, I no get another welder number now. But give me two hours, I go come.”
“Two hours is too late, I need you now.”
“Okay, I go try, send me your address.”
“Thank you, please try and come immediately, I will pay you anything. I will send you the address now.” Dad dropped the call and quickly sent our house address via text message.
WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 6


T.b.c...